Tonight, we got to go to our 3 year-old’s preschool Christmas program. As you’d expect, it was filled with all the cuteness one can handle. Pre-schoolers playing the part of barn animals, Mary, Joseph and the wisemen. The best we hope for is that our child doesn’t run off the stage crying or start a boxing match with some other kid on stage. And to our delight, none of those things happened. Tonight, the unexpected highlight was what I experienced before and after the show.
As I walked into the school, I noticed how many people said hi to me and how many I in turn said hello to. I knew at least 12-16 adults. These are people that, 1 year after moving to Orlando, I now consider friends beyond having kids at the same school.
I can’t tell you how good it feels to be known by others in our community. I can remember back about 16 months ago. We had just moved to Orlando and literally no one knew us. Here we are 16 months later and we have friends, we have people we trust to watch our kids, we constantly run into people at the grocery store that know us and say hello.
Something about being known in our community is affirming. I think if i’m honest, it gives me a little pride. But I think in a more positive light, it gives me a level of security. A security in knowing that i’m not alone. Even more than that, it moves me toward being able to settle into our new home called Orlando. I am starting to belong.
It’s unavoidable that this would lead me back to my relationship with Jesus. I belong to Him. I belong in the truest sense. I am known entirely by Jesus. My belonging to Him isn’t contingent on whether we “gel” or have similar hobbies or have kids in the same school. My belonging is based on Jesus’ unexpected, unearned and undeserved love for me.
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